


Malec in Supernatural World

by 4writes (RayBee)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Supernatural
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-15 10:00:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17526620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayBee/pseuds/4writes
Summary: Malec meets the Winchesters when portal lines get crossed. While they figure out a way home they wind up doing some hunting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this, thanks! I've been writing random junk for years but never really thought to share it. This is my venture into sharing. Whether you love it or hate it I'd love to know what you think. Also I am still figuring out tagging, I have to idea where to even start with defining this story.

“Why do we have to go all the way to Mexico. Why can’t we just pick up tacos downtown, they’re perfectly fine.” Alec pulled on his jacket while complaining to his boyfriend.  
“Because authenticity is what gives food it’s taste. Don’t whine Alexander, it’s not like either is further than a step through my door.” Magnus replied. Already walking away from the pouting Alec he swirled his hands, throwing some flare into his hips for the fun of it and opened a portal to Mexico City. “Come along Alexander, the sooner we get dinner the sooner we can get back home.” Magnus beckoned to his boyfriend with an outstretched hand and a teasing smile. Alec couldn’t help but smile in return. Taking Magnus’ hand Alec headed into the portal side by side, holding hands still with Magnus. “If that’s what makes you happy.” He replied before they both stepped into the purple gap. 

 

The minute their feet hit solid ground it was clear to both men something was off. They seemed to land on the other side, as opposed to the usual stroll through a portal. Both were lightheaded and wobbled a bit upon landing. Both dropped the hands they were holding to put their hands to their heads in surprise and pain. Alec recovered a bit quicker, looking up and reaching for his holster in uncertainty. Only, it wasn’t there. He and Magnus were only going on a casual date to grab dinner and the habit of removing weapons from the institute on your day off was frowned upon. Luckily his stele was in his pocket if need be.  
  
In front of him stood a group of 4 people, possibly lumberjacks and an accountant? Two of the men and the boy were in jeans and canvas jackets over flannel shirts. The third man was wearing a suit and trench coat and seemed to stand out from the others in more ways than his attire. All 4 stood stiff and ready facing the pair of men.  
  
“Well, this is not Mexico City.” Magnus spoke first, straightening up and pulling his sleeves straight. Alec barely acknowledged the words, instead studying each of the people in front of him further. The taller of the lumberjacks was giant, even taller than him. Lanky and standing in a defensive position it was clear he could handle himself if he so chose. The shorter one was still a large man, the most threatening of the bunch especially as a dark scowl took over his face at the sudden appearance of the strangers.  
  
“Jack what happened?” The giant lumberjack asked looking at the boy in a panic. The boy looked confused, unsure of how this could have happened. The shorter of the lumberjacks suddenly drew a gun and aimed it steadily at Alec and Magnus. Alec narrowed his eyes and stepped protectively in front of Magnus.  
  
“Magnus, get us out of here.” Alec ordered, slight panic in his tone as he reached for his stele. Magnus’ eyes grew wide at the appearance of the firearm, although it wouldn’t do much to him Alec was another story. He swirled his hands quickly, but nothing happened. Backing up a step he tried once again. Alec pulled out his stele but stalled, unsure what his next move was if Magnus couldn’t get a portal open. Any runes he used wouldn’t help Magnus. Magnus closed his eyes, focusing as best he could, but could only conjure a small tuft of his normal magical blue flames. “Alexander, something is wrong with my magic. It’s like it’s just out of my reach.” Magnus said in a panic.  
  
The man with the gun was visibly startled by this exchange. “Wait, magic?” He spoked incredulously. “Witches Jack, really? You know how I feel about witches.”  
“I don’t know how this happened.” The boy spoke looking down at his hands. “Something went wrong just as Kaia went through. I saw her reach her home, she turned and smiled at me and suddenly I was pulled to another world. I must have reached them for some reason and brought them back from that world.” The boy said, looking up from his hands to look pleadingly at the man with the gun. “I’m sorry Dean, I didn’t mean to. I don’t know why, they were just there and then I couldn’t get away.” With this pleading the man in the trenchcoat stepped towards the boy and placed his hand on the boys shoulder. “It’s ok Jack, we know it was an accident. We’ll figure out how to fix this.” He told the boy soothingly.  
  
While the group seemed to ignore the couple Alec moved closer towards Magnus, keeping his voice low he asked “What do you mean it’s out of your reach? You don’t have your magic? What’s going on?”  
  
“I don’t know Alec, I can feel my magic there, but I can’t fully access it. It’s almost like when I was just a boy still learning to use my powers. I’ve spent centuries perfecting my skills, relearning to use magic is going to take a very long time. We are going to need a different plan to get ourselves out of here.” Magnus replied, carefully deciding not to tell Alec that this change likely changed his mortality status as well. Alec’s eyes widened at this. If they were in magically incapacitated place what would this mean for his own powers? Opting for something discreet and helpful Alec ran his stele over his speed rune. His jaw tightened, and he quietly told Magnus “It worked but it doesn’t feel as strong. I’m not sure just how much I got but it’s definitely not full power.” The pair shared a worried look while the group seemed to still be occupied with the boy.  
  
The tall giant man was leaning into his group now with a glint of worry in his eye. “Jack you can just send them back right? You just sent Dark Kaia back so you can do the same for them right? I mean it’s not like anyone is going to believe them if they sprout off this crazy story so there’s nothing stopping us as long as we can send them back right now.” “I don’t know if I can Sam.” The boy replied looking at him with sympathy and concern. “Kaia was a dreamwalker, she was able to show me her world clearly so all I had to do was open the door. I didn’t even see where they came from. I have no idea what world they are from, it was like they appeared out of their own rift.” Jack looked at the other startled. “Maybe they can make rifts too, maybe they were traveling through and energies combined somehow. Then they got pulled back here, I don’t think they are from Kaia’s world.”  
  
“Ok” the tallest man said rubbing a hand over his face. “Ok, Dean lets be fair put the gun down.” He motioned to the man with the gun. He lowered the gun but didn’t pull it away just yet. “Come on Sam, we don’t know these guys at all” he told the taller man with a terse tone.  
  
Losing patience Alec straightened and used his leader of the institute voice to address the group in front of him. “What is going on here?” he stared at the tallest man as he seemed the most reasonable to this point. The man in the trenchcoat raised an eyebrow at Alec’s brazenness while the man with the gun gave him a very hostile glare.  
  
“Dean stop” the tall one told him stepping between Alec and Magnus and the shorter man. “We owe them an explanation, it’s not like this is their fault.” He turned to face the pair of men clearing his throat.  
  
“So, uh, it seems, we may have gotten our wires crossed and you accidentally got pulled from your world into ours. I know this may seem a little out there even for witches, warlocks? Is it warlocks?” He paused with a furrowed brow, Magnus took the opportunity to end his silence. “High warlock actually” he said straightening. “We entered a portal as normal and found ourselves here. Now just where is here?” he asked with sweeping gesture at the library around them.  
  
“Well, High Warlock, this is our bunker in Lebanon Kansas.” The tall man responded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm totally blown away by the support so I was inspired to keep it moving. If there's anything you'd hope to see from this feel free to say something.

“KANSAS?!” Both Alec and Magnus exclaimed. Both went wide eyed at the realization.  
  
“Yes” the man replied. “Kansas.” Almost seeming offended at the tone of the strangers.  
  
“Toto, we are not in New York City anymore.” Magnus told Alec, a bit breathless. His teasing words and tilt of his head not fully covering his shock over this odd situation they found themselves in.  
  
“New York?” The tall man and the rest of the group exchanged a slightly amused look. “No, definitely not New York.” The man with the gun responded with a shake of his head, a bemused expression mixing with his annoyance at this whole situation.  
  
“I’m Sam” the tallest said, reaching his hand to Magnus. Taking the offered hand Magnus shook “Magnus.”  
  
“I’m Alec” Alec offered while shaking the hand Sam now offered to him.  
  
“That’s Dean” Sam told them motioning to the man finally putting away his gun. He greeted the pair with a nod.  
  
“That’s Jack” Sam now motioned to the youngest. “Hello” He chirped happily with a wave.  
  
“And that is Castiel” he said as the trench coat approached.  
  
“Hello” he spoke in a deep voice shaking Magnus’ hand. Alec reached out and shook his hand as well when it was offered. As soon as their hands made contact Castiel’s eyes narrowed. A small surge, much like a static shock was shared between their joined hands. The older man suddenly changed at the pulse, his expression going from bland accountant to all seeing warrior.  
  
“Are you an angel?” Castiel asked suddenly without dropping Alec’s hand. Visibly taken aback Alec replied “Nephilim” with some surprise.  
  
The entire group froze. Castiel stared at Alec another moment before dropping his hand. He turned to face Jack. Sam’s jaw had dropped, and he was silent in processing this information. Dean, rarely surprised at this point in his career, did not have the same problem.  
  
“Another nephilim? Seriously? This is just what we need. Never thought I would wish it had actually been witches.” Dean exclaimed throwing his hands in the air. “More Nephilim, what’s next" He turned to the bar in the corner. “I definitely need a drink now.” He spoke mostly to himself pouring himself a hefty helping of whisky from the half empty bottle.  
  
Alec and Magnus both wore the same confused look as they watched the others react to this news. They had no idea how rare that was in this world.  
  
“What are you?” Alec asked Castiel hesitantly.  
  
“I’m an angel” he replied matter of factly finally dropping Alec's hand to gesture to Jack. “Jack here is a Nephilim.”  
  
“That must have been your connection, this is why you must have been drawn to each other.” Castiel told Jack comfortingly.  
  
Alec’s eyes had gone wide, his jaw had gone slack and he was speechless for a moment. Before “You’re an angel?!” came tumbling from his mouth. “That’s, you don’t look, how…” he stuttered on. “Angels’s don’t come to Earth.” He finally ended with.  
  
“We wish that were true most days.” Dean muttered from the corner. Alec glanced at him with surprise but went right back to staring at Jack and Castiel.  
  
“We can’t let anyone know. If Heaven knew about this…” Castiel trailed off looking at Dean and then Sam, his eyes showing genuine concern. He didn’t finish the sentence and the rest of his group seemed to need no further explanation. Catching on to the cold hush in the room Magnus spoke up. “An Angel on Earth? And working with mundanes? What kind of world did we find ourselves in? Things truly are topsy turvy.” He spoke with less of his normal flourish, his eyes showing his distraction. He was carefully and quietly trying to conjure some magic to use but still it remained just out of his reach. The pulse of the lay lines was there, flowing below the surface but was not quite within his reach.  
  
“Can they feel him? Should we hide him?” Sam asked looking to Castiel for guidance. Hands in his pockets Castiel seemed to think it over a moment before answering “Any angels left are in Heaven, not looking for new angels on earth. He also isn’t giving off the same feeling of power Jack and I do. It’s more muted, more human-like energy.” His eyes lifted from the ground showing his determination. “It is different however, like Kaia and Michael’s energy, not natural to this world. That makes them recognizable. We’ll have to be careful about who knows about this until we can get them back.”  
  
The shock and comicality of this whole thing was starting to wear off the expressions of Alec and Magnus. The gravity of this situation starting to become evident. Home was not a mere step through a portal anymore. Finally giving up his ministrations Magnus lifted an eyebrow at Alec as they shared a look. His expression softening to cover his fear he took his boyfriend’s larger hand in both of his comforting both for a moment. Alec lifted his other hand in reflex to cup the tangle in his right hand.  
  
While Sam, Dean and Cas shared looks of concern Jack was watching he newcomers. They looked at each other with all of the caring and love he had seen in his mother’s eyes. Jack couldn’t help but smile. There was also something more, something more like he saw in the movies. Maybe this pair could finally help him understand what Dean meant when he said they needed to ‘talk about the birds and the bees’ but kept putting off the actual conversation.  
  
“What about the spell we used to get to Apocalypse world?” Sam’s voice suddenly broke through everyone’s train of thought. “We would need Rowena but maybe that would work?” Sam spoke while turning to the bookshelves and rummaging through a few. “And Archangel grace.” Cas reminded them. Sam froze, Dean took a swig from his glass. “Would my grace work?” Jack asked the older men. Sam turned and shared a look with Dean.  
  
“I’m not sure.” Sam answered. “Cas? Think it’ll work?” Dean asked the angel. Cas looked at each of the taller men before settling his gaze on Jack. “I don’t know.” Cas spoke plainly. “I’ll call Rowena.” Sam announced already walking out of the room “Maybe she has a lead on more Archangel grace.”  
  
The epiphany also broke through to Alec and Magnus. They broke apart and faced the group rigidly. As Sam left the room Castiel turned to Alec and Magnus. “We have a spell that we might be able to use to send you home. We just need to gather a few ingredients and call the witch.” Magnus perked up a bit at this. “Wonderful, maybe she can give me some pointers on how to kick start my magic. In the meantime,” he continued “we were heading to dinner. Is there anything to eat around here?” Dean looked a little surprised but quickly enough offered “We have a few places in the area.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support you people are amazing! You can find me at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/spamityme if you're interested.


	3. Chapter 3

They ended up at the bar down the street. Dean had called it a restaurant but as soon as they pulled in the lot it was clear that had been an overexaggeration. The car ride had been novel, Alec and Magnus riding in the back of the Impala with Sam and Dean riding shotgun and driving respectively. Castiel and Jack followed in Castiel’s blue compact. The boys had been surprised they needed a car to travel but Magnus had made a “nice car” quip about the Impala. This prompted a spiel from Dean lasting the whole way to the bar. Something about how “Baby” was a classic, how Dean had to rebuilt her a few times. He mentioned a few specific times throwing in names like Lucifer and Michael and that one time Chuck dropped her into the back room of the bunker. The couple in the backseat were quiet, no more than making faces at each other or making surprised noises as Dean went on.  
  
Seated at the only table able to accommodate all of them the group quietly scanned the menu. Magnus shot Alec a look and leaned towards him “I don’t think I’ll be finding carne enchiladas on the menu here. But at least you can get that burger you’ve mentioned.” His teasing tone taking the edge off his words. Alec couldn’t help the smirk the tipped his lips. “Burgers are alright, whiskey is good.” Dean announced placing his menu on the table. Just then the waitress appeared at Dean’s elbow with a big, knowing smile for the hunter.  
  
“Hey there Dean, what can I get ya?” she asked in an overly husky tone looking only at Dean. Dean tilted back in his chair and grinned right back. “I’ll take the usual darlin’, shot and a beer.” The girl smiled down at him a moment longer before blushing a little and jotting it down on her pad. She turned to Sam next who got water, same with Jack and Castiel. When she got to Magnus her expression visibly changed. She had been so caught up looking at Dean she hadn’t noticed how, well, out of place Magnus looked. Between his gelled up hair, full eye makeup, rings, painted fingers, bedazzled jacket and other assorted jewelry he certainly stood out. Even Alec, with his large tattoo on the side of his neck blended in well here in his black pants and leather jacket. Magnus gave her a knowing smile, he knew he could be a lot but he’d be damned if he would water himself down for anyone else. “I’ll have a martini, extra -tini please dear.” He told her gently. Catching his gaze she smiled in return and added this to her tab. “I’ll have the same” Alec added when she looked up.  
  
With that taken care of and the waitress fetching their drinks with one last longing look at Dean, he looked to Sam. “Any luck on Rowena?” he asked the taller man.  
  
“A bit” Sam answered with a sigh “she said without the grace the spell obviously won’t work and when a spell like that specifically calls for Archangel grace it needs full Archangel grace.” At this Magnus raised an eyebrow but before he could speak Sam turned to him. “But, she is willing to come see if she can help kickstart your magic. She seemed pretty anxious to meet a warlock.” Sam told him with a small smile. Dean snickered a bit “She really does jump at any sort of powerful being doesn’t she” he remarked sarcastically with a shake of his head. Before anyone could reply the waitress was back with their drink orders. They took the opportunity to order their food before everyone fell silent again. Sam was working on his phone with a pinched look on his face. This prompted an elbow from Dean. “Dude, what are you working on?”  
  
“Oh, I uh, I’m looking for anywhere we might be able to find Archangel grace. Not to mention there’s a job in Colorado, two women dead. As well as what looks like a haunting in Texas. I’m putting teams on them while we gather the ingredients for the spell.” Sam replied. Dean merely nodded and threw back his shot. Jack leaned forward to volunteer but sat back down quickly. This was his doing and he wouldn’t be running away from this. Castiel, having been watching Jack closely, gave the boy a sympathetic pat and a smile. Jack tried to smile in return, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Before long their order was delivered and they settled on small talk while everyone ate.  
  
When everyone finished the waitress brought everyone another round and collected their empty plates. Finished with his uncharacteristic quiet Magnus cleared his throat before speaking. “So when will this Rowena be arriving? We have friends and family back home we need to be getting back to.” Alec nodded and followed up with “I’m still not sure why we can’t just go back the way we came, why can’t Jack just send us back?” He looked intently at Jack. Jack shrunk back a bit at the inquisition prompting Castiel to open his mouth to speak for him. Before he could get a word out Jack sat up straighter and met Alec’s stare. “I can open to doors to many different worlds, so many worlds and dimensions that finding just one is like identifying a single ripple in the ocean. Not to mention I didn’t actually go to your world so I don’t even know how it would appear to me.” Jack spoke with only a slightly shaky conviction. “I’ll keep trying, keep …”  
  
“Jack” Castiel cut him off “We’ll all keep looking for another way.” With this the angel turned to Alec. “We will do everything we can to get you two home. We do know how trapped you feel. Maybe we can find another dreamwalker that can help us.” With that Cas nodded to Sam who went back to his phone.  
  
“So what is an angel doing on Earth anyway?” Magnus asked. Alec perked up at the question and turned to Castiel. “It’s a long story.” He replied simply. Alec opened his mouth to question him further but was cut off by Dean. “Ten years worth of long story, none of which is really relevant here. I think we should probably know more about you guys so we can figure out how to get you home. Now you’re a Nephilim, and you’re a High Warlock. What do you just portal around worlds or do you stick to your own?” Dean asked a little smugly.  
  
“I generally avoid damaging timelines, so I try to stick within my own realm thanks.” Magnus replied snarkily. Alec couldn’t help his smirk and sipped his martini waiting for his boyfriend to continue.  
  
“I am a warlock meaning I am half human and half demon. I’m immortal and my ability to use magic comes from my demon blood. Alec is a Nephilim, which, in our world is synonymous with shadowhunter. Shadowhunters protect the normal humans, or mundanes, and the downworld. I manage the warlocks of New York while Alec runs the institute responsible for protecting the city from demonic evils.” Magnus finished proudly. Magnus finished off his martini as the group stared at the boys. “A demon and an angel working together?” Dean questioned. “Wait, the downworld?’ Sam, whom had been listening intently, asked as the rest took in this new information.  
  
“The downworld is the warlocks, vampires, werewolves, seelys and the like.” Alec answered at the same time Magnus replied “Work together, yes I suppose we do a lot of that as well” with a flip of his hand. The larger group all looked from Magnus to Alec unsure how to respond.  
  
“So you’re basically fancy hunters that protect some of the monsters.” Dean announced sarcastically finishing off his beer he signaled the waitress for another round at the table.  
  
“Dean” Sam reprimanded his brother and continued “He’s just like Jesse, remember that kid from, ah, Nebraska? It was nearly a decade ago. Maybe 9 years? But that kid, he had some serious powers too. And he was the same, half human half demon.” Sam brightened at this and looked at Castiel. Castiel looked unimpressed and shook his head at Sam. “Jesse is long gone Sam, he didn’t want to be found and with his powers we aren’t going to find him.”  
  
“We should at least try right?” Sam replied.  
  
“Why would he help us? Just because he’s also a Warlock?” Magnus asked.  
  
“We won’t know until we ask” Sam replied positively. Their next round of drinks arrived stopping conversation once more. Once the waitress was out of earshot Sam looked expectantly at his brother. “Call him” he told him pointedly. “He might have an idea, he would want to keep tabs on something as powerful as Jesse.” Dean sighed and grumbled a bit before pulling out his phone. He stabbed at it a few times before putting the device to his ear.  
  
“Hey” he barked into the phone receiving a “Squirrel” in response. “It’s been too long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send me some love, hate or anything in between. I have another chapter close to being finished so another update should be coming soon.  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/spamityme


	4. Chapter 4

Dean rolled his eyes before continuing “Yeah you remember that thing we did for you last week? Well we need some information so I’m calling in that favor.” Dean glossed over the fake cheer in the other callers’ words.  
  
“For you, I’m always….”  
  
A man suddenly appeared just behind Dean and Sam.  
  
“There” The man was dressed in a long black coat with his cell phone still to his ear. Magnus rocked back in his chair at the newcomer. Crowley looked over the strangers as he ended the call on his cell phone and placed it in his pocket. “Squirrel, Moose, Feathers, and Baby Luci all in one place. Plus, two dashing strangers. What is the occasion?” The newcomer spoke with a thick accent and made eye contact with Magnus. His eyebrow raised and a slick smile tipped his lips. “Interesting” he murmured. “You are?” “You first” Magnus spoke with distinction.  
  
“Crowley, King of Hell.” Crowley announced and looked to Magnus and Alec expectantly.  
  
“Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn.” Magnus replied first with a lift of his eyebrow now staring at this stranger. “Alec Lightwood” Alec answered simply. He was watching his boyfriend with a worried expression, if Magnus was uneasy so was Alec.  
  
“Warlock” Crowley all but spit “I supposed Mother has been here then. I’m sure she’s involved in this mess so why are you calling me?”  
  
“She’s not here…yet” Sam said a little abashedly. “We were actually hoping to track someone down and we hoped you might have some ideas. We’re looking for Jesse Turner, he should be oh, about 20 now. He was a half demon half human we encountered maybe 9 years ago. Do you know anything about him?” Sam finished with a hopeful smile.  
  
Crowley looked a bit startled for a moment before he burst out “Yes Sam, I have brunch with the Antichrist every Sunday. He loves the banana pancakes, I’ll just mention to him next time…NO MOOSE how _are _you this stupid?! I do not know where the damn Antichrist is!” he took a breath while Alec, Magnus and Jack stared at him wide eyed Sam looked offended, Dean just rolled his eyes and took another drink. Crowley continued “That boy disappeared the night you went visiting and has never showed so much as a hair since. Of course we’ve looked, Lucifer himself looked for him. Nothing and no one has seen any trace of Jesse Turner since that night.” Sam and Dean shared a look, Crowley wasn’t one to lie outright.__  
  
“And just why are you looking for a thing like that? Does it have anything to do with these lovely gentlemen?” Crowley asked with a lift of an eyebrow. He hadn’t moved, still standing behind the boys showing no concern for the situation he found himself in. Magnus copied this body language by sitting back in his chair, his elbows on his thighs with his fingers laced. Using every bit of power in his reach Magnus studied the stranger scrutinizing the man’s aura. He clearly had a power of his own, something dark and twisted in both familiar and foreign ways. And yet, no one at the table seemed the least bit worried about him either. Magus thought perhaps this was, in fact the King of Hell of this realm. Or at least some sort of greater demon because where was Lucifer in all this?  
  
Alec was trying to watch his boyfriend closely and still keep one eye on the stranger. Magnus was clearly intimidated in some way by this man and that was really saying something. Alec could feel it too, this man’s dark aura difficult to miss for anyone with the sight. He saw the gentle flames of light blue magic at Magnus’ fingertips, very faint, hidden under the table. Alec’s heart cracked a little seeing the love of his life struggling with something so basic to him. He met Crowley’s gaze, hard and unyielding. “We think he might be able to help us.” Alec told him simply.  
  
“Help you say? Well why don’t you just ask, helping is what I do best.” Crowley responded with a tip of his head that was almost flirty.  
  
“Deals are what you do, that’s different than help.” Dean pointed out. “That is true.” Castiel agreed blandly.  
  
“Deals? What kind of deals?” Alec asked, curious despite himself.  
  
“The kind of deals where your soul is the only bargaining chip.” Magnus answered. Alec glanced at his boyfriend who had stopped trying to use his magic but was still focused on Crowley. “Not the kind of deals we would make Alexander.” Magnus finished without changing his glare.  
  
“True enough” Dean mumbled. “So can you help us or not?”  
  
“Not.” Crowley replied. Still looking at Magnus he spoke directly to him, a new respect shining in his eyes. “You however, you are interesting. High warlock you say?” Magnus narrowed his eyes before responding “I am. King of Hell you say?” his tone mildly mocking clearly baiting Crowley. Crowley smiled in return and glanced at Alec.  
  
“Quite the mouth on you pretty boy” Crowley’s voice dripping with the double entendre, he furthered insult by dropping his gaze to Magnus’s mouth. Alec’s eyes narrowed but Crowley continued. “So just what is it you need help with?”  
  
“We need a portal.” Magnus told him not ready to give too much away. “A portal?” Crowley asked with continued interest “To anywhere in particular?”  
  
“Home” Magnus answered.  
  
“And just how far are you boys from home?” Crowley asked still studying the newcomers. He knew they were not from around here, the question was if they could be useful to him. Something about Magnus felt nauseatingly familiar. The more he studied the flamboyant man in front of him the stronger the feeling of dread. And yet, there was a very strong feeling of power underneath it, a power different from anything he’d encountered on Earth or in Hell. He wasn’t yet sure if that power was very strong, but it layered under the surface in a way that was just intriguing enough for the King of Hell. “I don’t suppose a bus to New York would do?”  
  
“No” Magnus confirmed, “I don’t believe it would be that simple.”  
  
“If you can’t help us find Jesse, could you find Archangel grace?” Castiel spoke up.  
  
“Ahh Chipmunk squeaks.” Crowley said amused as ever by the angel. “Archangel grace, for a portal home of course.” You could practically see the wheels in Crowley’s head turning as he looked from Castiel to Jack. “Another accident?” He asked somewhat tauntingly. “You boys, always up to your pretty tree trunk necks in trouble. And dragging other-worlders into it no less. This is quite the cluster fuck, even by Winchester standards.”  
  
“Alright, so Archangel grace?” Dean barked. “I can look around I suppose, won’t be easy and I make no promises.” Crowley replied giving Magnus one last long look. “Be seeing you.” And with that Crowley was gone and the entire group let out a small sigh no one had been aware they had been holding.  
  
“Is he really the King of Hell?” Magnus asked looking from Dean to Sam. “Not Lucifer.”  
  
“He is.” Sam replied. “Lucifer got slammed back into his box.” Dean added.  
  
“Interesting, for a pair of humans you seem to be pretty involved in whatever it is you call the downworld here.” Magnus remarked sharing a look with Alec.  
  
Dean and Sam both chuckled humorlessly. “We’ve certainly seen our fair share of supernatural shit.” Dean remarked sarcastically. The group quieted and before long the unanimous decision was made to head back to the bunker for the night. Rowena would be there sometime tomorrow but there wasn’t much else they could do in the meantime. Plus Sam was unimpressed with the Wifi signal at the bar.


	5. Chapter 5

“Well, this has been an interesting day to say the least.” Magnus spoke on a sigh closing the door behind himself. Alec was standing further in the room pulling off his jacket. The Winchesters had pointed them to a set of rooms at the end of a hallway in the back of the bunker. They had pointed out their rooms and the kitchen before everyone broke off for the night. Dean had originally been a little surprised when he pointed out a pair of rooms and Magnus had told him flippantly, they only needed one room. Sam had smiled knowingly and was prepared to apologize for his brother’s blindness, but a wide silly grin broke the shorter brothers face. “Oh, well, ahem, you guys just have a good night, then.” He had stumbled through, clearly impressed. He had backed away nearly tripping over his brother in the process before heading back down the hall. Sam rolled his eyes and apologized for his brothers’ thickness and left them soon after.  
  
“Magnus what are we going to do?” Alec tossed his coat on the chair in the room with more force than necessary. His words tense and worried.  
  
“Oh pup, we’ll figure it out.” Magnus immediately crossed the room and didn’t stop until he was face to face with Alec. He put one hand on Alec’s shoulder and the other on his cheek. “I know you’re worried about Jace and Isabelle, but we’ll get back to them. I’m going to figure out how to use my magic in this world if it’s the last thing I do.” Magnus spoke with determination. Alec gave his boyfriend a small smile and took a deep breath leaning into Magnus’s hand closing his eyes.  
  
“At least they have each other” Alec said before meeting Magnus’s gaze “And I have you.” Alec lifted one hand to cup the one on his cheek already feeling better with his boyfriend’s steady presence. “But I don’t want you to hurt yourself for it. You have some magic so it’s there, but you can’t push it. And you’re right, we’ll figure it out. Those guys seem to have a few ideas, and they seem pretty dedicated to getting shit done.” Magnus smiled at Alec but Alec wasn’t done, “I know not having your powers is hard for you, I can’t even imagine how you feel so I’m here, whenever you want to talk about it.” Magnus gazed lovingly as the taller man.  
  
“You are an amazing man Alexander.” Magnus said, his voice deep with emotion. “You are right as well, these men talk a big talk so we’ll see just what they can do. Besides, maybe this Rowena witch will have a spell that can help boost my magic.”  
  
“Now” Magnus continued stepping away from Alec “Why don’t we take a shower and get some rest, tomorrow is sure to be another long day.” Alec’s eyes darkened at the mention of taking a shower together. He smiled slowly staring into Magnus’s eyes, he took a step closer and reached to take Magnus’s face in his hands. It was then his warm brown eyes flashed to his yellow cat eyes.  
  
Magnus’s special eyes went wide in surprise but Alec didn’t stop and cupped his boyfriend’s face in his hands. “Oh dear” Magnus spoke quietly, “I’m going to have a much harder time covering my eyes with my limited powers.”  
  
“Magnus” Alec spoke in an equally quiet tone “You know you never have to hide them from me. I love every part of you. And I just don’t get the impression these guys scare easily. Now, lets go take that shower.” Magnus couldn’t help but smile at his sweet boyfriend before heading towards the attached bathroom, his beautiful cat eyes shining even as he led them into the darker room.

**********

The next morning Magnus awoke and carefully slid off his still sleeping boyfriend. Carefully replacing the covers Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle lightly as Alec let out a small snore he still insisted he didn’t do. After using the bathroom he slipped on a pair of soft slippers that had been in the corner and quietly padded out of the room. Closing the door against the light in the hallway Magnus headed for the kitchen. He was surprised to find Castiel and Dean already in the kitchen. Dean was at the grill making pancakes and bacon and Castiel was seated at the table reading a newspaper. They were arguing about how much lasagna a cat could really eat.  
  
“Newspapers are still a thing? Who knew.” Magnus said with a smile. Castiel looked at him and replied dryly “I don’t trust computers, I leave that to Sam.” Magnus just shook his head, apparently the angel wasn’t so good with sarcasm.  
  
“Mornin’” Dean greeted him surprisingly cheery for the early hour. “We got pancakes and bacon, Sam is in the library and Jack should be up soon. Coffee’s on, mugs are next to the pot. How many pancakes do you and Alec want?” They fell into easy conversation about Garfield’s antics with Dean refusing to believe that a single cat could never finish an entire lasagna in one sitting while Magnus and Castiel both argued that a single cat, even one as large as Garfield could never finish an entire pan of lasagna. Magnus found himself laughing and joking with the pair, Castiel was very literal which gave him a dry humor Magnus could appreciate.  
  
While the other two continued to bicker Magnus topped off his cup of coffee and headed towards the library to find Sam. He was anxious to find out when Rowena would be arriving. Before he could get there he nearly walked into Jack sleepily rubbing his eyes and heading to the kitchen. “Good morning Jack” he said pleasantly. Jack greeted him with a warm smile.  
  
“Good morning. Dean already working on the bacon I take it?” Jack replied with a smile.  
  
“He has quite a bit of food going in there, I’m not sure how many pounds of bacon someone can make in one sitting but he’s definitely pushing the record.” Magnus replied with a smile. “Hey Jack” he continued “I just want you to know Alec and I don’t blame you for this. I understand how hard it can be learning how your powers work, how scary and frustrating it can be making things happen the way you want them to.” His eyes showing his sincerity Magnus gave the younger man a gentle smile. “I know better than most just how difficult it can be.”  
  
Jack returned his smile before replying “Thanks Magnus. I really am sorry. I’m still learning to control my powers, Castiel says theres probably still a lot I can do that I don’t even know about. Nephilim aren’t allowed here so no one is really sure how far my powers go.”  
  
“Well take it from me” Magnus replied gently, “You set your own limits in your own mind, you seem like a good kid Jack. You have a good support system here. Trust yourself.” Alec came around the corner in time to hear Magnus’s finishing lines. He smiled at his caring boyfriend and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before greeting them both. “Good morning” he told them with a smile. His boyfriend did have a soft spot for the young and confused. His instincts were good so if Magnus was already softening towards the kid, Alec was bound to come around sooner or later. Easier to let it happen and not fight it.  
  
Jack was staring at the couple with wide eyes “Good morning” Jack started before blurting out “Can I ask you guys a question about what happens after the courting. Dean keeps putting me off and Castiel and Sam keep telling me to ask the others. I know when two people are attracted to each other……”  
  
“Whoa there biscuit” Magnus stopped him putting up a hand signaling him to stop talking. “I’m not sure I’m ready to give you that talk either. I think that’s something you need to talk to your fathers about. In fact, Dean and Casiel are in the kitchen now. They should be the ones that have that talk with you.”  
  
“Oh ok, well thank you Magnus!” Jack replied recovering from his mild disappointment quickly to head towards the kitchen.  
  
Alec and Magnus shared a look when Jack rounded the corner and disappeared. “What kind of family is this.” Alec remarked turning to smile at Magnus. Together they continued to the library to find Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a pretty short update but I'm a little over halfway done with the next chapter and it's a nice beefy one!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter makes up for the short one before it!

Sam was hunched over his laptop with open books strewn around him. He was squinting a bit at something on the screen of his laptop and had a stack of documents in one hand. Sam looked up when the couple entered the room and gave them a wide smile.  
“Good Morning” He started, but before anyone could reply Dean walked in carrying a huge platter of pancakes followed by Castiel carrying a startling amount of bacon. Jack put down plates and silverware while Dean placed the platter on the table. “I think this should be enough.” Dean announced proudly. Sam grumpily moved his books and laptop out of the way of the food being put down.  
  
“I think this was an excuse to make too much bacon so you could pick at the leftover bacon all day.” Castiel remarked dryly. Dean replied with a narrow glare that softened quickly. With a shrug of his shoulder he smiled at Cas and took the platter of bacon from him. Everyone helped move books and papers around to make room for the huge pile of food. Everyone soon settled in and piled stacks of pancakes on their plates.  
  
“There’s a job in Denver, Colorado. It’s only a few hours away but I was thinking Jack, you and Cas could check it out. Two victims, looks like a wraith.” Sam told his family. Jack looked a little surprised. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t I stay here and help find a way to get Magnus and Alec home?” he asked.  
  
“I’m going to stay here and wait for Rowena, it’s easier when I’m here anyway.” Sam told him.  
  
“Two cases of dry brain?” Dean asked with his mouth full.  
  
“Yeah.” Sam answered moderately disgusted as usual with his brother’s habits.  
  
“I’m in. Baby could use the wind in her wheels.” Dean told his brother. Jack smiled happily and Castiel couldn’t help but smile at his happiness. They did love a good team monster hunt and it was rare the three of them got out together.  
  
“Well I’m sure you have some interesting literature around here. I for one can’t wait to see what I can find in your vast collection.” Magnus told them.  
  
“Well you’re welcome to start here. I was pulling everything I thought might help.” Sam told him motioning to the pile strewn on the end table and chair off to the side.  
  
“Perfect.” Magnus replied with a smile.

  


**********

Two days later Alec was ready to climb the walls. Magnus had found numerous books with spells and studies and had gone full nerd since the first morning. Alec had found plenty of interesting titles himself but by lunch the next day Alec had taken to restlessly prowling the bunker. Rowena still hadn’t shown up and continued saying ‘soon boys’ and dodging their calls. Sam had assured him that she would be there eventually, but she was a woman that tended to live on her own time. Alec had met enough warlocks in his life through Magnus by now that he knew they could be finicky. That didn’t stop his growing tension. He had an institute to run back home. He had people relying on him.  
  
Alec was up early that morning, unable to sleep well due to lack of activity. No one here seemed to train, Sam was constantly on his laptop and organizing the hunters that were in and out. With a sigh Alec carefully pulled himself out from underneath his sleeping boyfriend and replaced the covers. When Magnus shifted in annoyance Alec kissed his forehead gently and headed to the bathroom to change. He needed to hit the punching bag Sam had let him set up in the basement. He changed quickly and headed out the door and down the hall without turning any lights on.  
  
Magnus had spent the two previous days in the library with Sam combing through books and studies and anything else that mentioned magic at all. There was little talk, but Sam had been easy enough to get along with, he had even let Magnus go through a book called The Black Grimoire, which he figured Rowena would probably want to go through. They had strict orders not to let her leave with the book or anything from it.  
  
Alec has spent the previous afternoon roaming the vast rooms of the bunker. There were other hunters in and out, coming back from hunts to debrief with the ‘Chief’. They told daring stories of taking down things like wraiths, djinn, vampires, werewolves, ghosts all assortment of creatures. Some Alec had heard of, some he would have assumed had been made up if he didn’t know just how crazy sounding the downworld could be. These people mentioned they were also from another world, another dimension. Apparently, the Winchesters made it a habit of messing with other worlds.  
  
In the basement Alec turned on a single light and pulled forward one bookcase to reveal the secret room beyond. Dean had casually mentioned it as the dungeon before Sam shushed him, but Alec didn’t care. He grabbed the gloves from the top of the punching bag and rolled his tight shoulders a few times.  
  
Gloves on Alec jumped up and down on the balls of his feet and focused in on the bag. He settled into his routine quickly. The steady rhythm of his fists and feet hitting the bag settled him. His mind wandered to home quickly as it usually did. He thought of Jace and Izzy, both probably frantic by now. He had felt nothing through his parabatai rune since he’d come through the portal and that, more than anything, worried him.  
  
Time got away from him as he thought of all the work that had been piled on his desk. Someone was running the institute in his absence and few of the limited choices thrilled Alec. He didn’t notice Magnus quietly standing in the doorway admiring his angel. He took this quiet moment to lean silently against the wall by the book case and watch Alec. Magnus knew his boyfriend wasn’t sleeping well and was getting substantially more wound up by the day. Magnus was glad he had this hidden back room as an outlet. An idea forming Magnus let out a wolf whistle and stared hungrily at Alec’s ass before he inevitably turned around.  
  
Alec stiffened and whipped around catching Magnus’s obvious gaze. Magnus gave him that coy look that killed him every time and Alec froze. His breath seemed to get lodged in his lungs, his eyes darkened, and his face tightened. Alec finally snapped out of his stare when Magnus’s eyes dropped suggestively to Alec’s crotch. Alec tore the gloves off and tossed them to the floor. Magnus had barely taken two steps towards him before Alec grabbed him with one hand on his shoulder and one hand on his face. Their mouths met hard and fast as they pulled each other as close as they could. Alec got lost in the kiss, one hand leaving Magnus’s shoulder to claw at his shirt. Magnus already had both hands on his Alec’s abs working his way up his torso to pull off his t-shirt.  
  
Their kiss broke when Magnus pulled off Alec’s shirt and tossed it to the floor. Alec grinned down at his gorgeous boyfriend, his cat eyes still managing to be dark with emotion. Alec spun them both around intending to push Magnus the few steps backwards up against the wall when he heard “Umph” and Magnus seemed to collide with something behind him.  
  
Alec paused and retreated a step, his breathing still heavy but his head cocked in confusion. Magnus had an equally surprised expression. He turned and put his hands up and quickly felt a solid wall beyond his fingers. The longer he touched the wall the more it seemed to burn his skin.  
  
“Magnus what’s wrong?” Alec asked walking around Magnus he stood face to face with his boyfriend. Magnus was frowning and looking at where his hands were hovering in the air. It was then Magnus looked down and noticed the line of paint on the ground. The line was dark red and thick, it looked like it had been there for a very long time.  
  
“I can’t get past this line.” Magnus told Alec looking up to meet his concerned gaze. “I also seem to have even less access to my power.” Magnus said, his cat eyes unwavering. Alec straightened and looked down at the dark line he’d hardly even noticed before. Taking a step back he realized it was a giant pentagram looking thing that took up most of the floor in this back room. He’d barely noticed before because it hadn’t affected him at all. But somehow it was able to contain Magnus’s power.  
  
“What the hell is this?” Alec muttered before turning to retrieve his shirt. “Is it a rune of some sort?” Alec asked pulling his shirt back on.  
  
“Similar.” Magnus replied. “I think I’ve seen something like comparable before, but I’ve never had this displeasure. Why don’t you go grab Sam?”  
  
Alec stepped up to his boyfriend and gave him a quick kiss. “I’m sorry we get interrupted so often.”  
  
“Me too Alexander.” Magnus replied. Alec returned his sweet smile before turning and heading back upstairs.  
  
He found the Winchester brothers arguing in the main library.  
  
“You shouldn’t go alone. With Cas and Jack heading to California and me stuck here you need some kind of backup. I don’t care how little of a threat you think it is. Need I remind you how many ghosts have kicked our asses in the past?” Sam was saying to an annoyed Dean.  
  
“Dude relax, it’s a single ghost. It’s a milk run. No wait, what’s smaller than a milk run? It’s like grabbing the paper from the driveway, it’s the simplest thing there is Sam. You think I can’t handle one fucking ghost?” Dean replied just as Alec was approaching. Sam’s back to Alec he continued “Of course not Dean, it’s not that at all it’s called self-preservation.”  
  
“Excuse me but we need a hand.” Alec interrupted. “Magnus is stuck in some sort of rune in the basement.” Alec said slightly accusatory.  
  
“Well I’ll be damned.” Dean muttered and followed Alec who was already heading back to the basement. Sam shook his head and followed.  
  
Back in the basement Magnus was standing with his arms crossed and his cat eyes narrowed. Alec had turned all the lights on before he had collected the brothers, but Magnus’s eyes still shone in the harsh light. Dean entered first behind Alec and paused at the change in the warlock. He looked confused for a moment before shrugging. “That’s different.” He remarked.  
  
Sam came in a moment later and paused as well, his look was more intrigued, and he couldn’t help but ask, “How did you do that?”  
  
“These are my real eyes.” Magnus explained. “All warlocks have a mark of some sort. Mine happen to be my eyes.” Sam’s mouth quirked and he seemed to want to ask more but Dean was pulling out his knife.  
  
“You’re going to need to slide out of where I break the circle.” Dean explained to Magnus before bending down to scrape away a layer of paint. The paint was old and stubborn but with minor grunting from Dean he was able to break through a slim line. He stood and closed his knife so Magnus could walk over the broken line.  
  
“That was strange.” Magnus remarked. He blinked a few times and his eyes were back to brown. Alec took Magnus’s hand and they shared a smile. It wasn’t the distraction Magnus had planned but it had been a distraction none the less.  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as I get further into the story I find myself venturing further away from the exact characters to make it work and make the characters relate a little. Hopefully I don't get too far off.

“Well, now we know you need to stay out of demon traps.” Dean spoke up. The couple turned to face him.  
“Demon traps?” Alec asked. He turned to face the strange circle again now looking with awe. Something that simple could hold someone like Magnus? “Who made this? A Warlock?” He asked.  
  
“No.” Dean answered “The past Men of Letters. I mean we’ve had to touch it up after using it a few times, but the same pattern has been down since they built this place I assume. Hey, does salt bother you?” Dean suddenly asked.  
  
Magnus looked confused. “Not to my knowledge.” He replied hesitantly. “When did you get back anyway?” he questioned.  
  
“Late last night, maybe early this morning technically.” Dean replied.  
  
“Another reason you shouldn’t be the one that goes.” Sam argued. He opened his mouth to continue but Dean cut him off.  
  
“Cas and Jack already headed for California to talk to that Shaman. All your other teams are on other cases. It’s only a few hours away, and it’s either a ghost or could be nothing.” Dean told his brother with his arms crossed.  
  
“A ghost?” Alec interjected. “Maybe I could help.” He added, his tone lightly tinted with his enthusiasm. Demons he knew, but ghosts? That would be something new. Plus, anything to get out of this place for a little while worked for him.  
  
The brothers shared a look that very clearly showed how reluctant they were to trust a stranger. Neither was likely to leave the other in a potentially dangerous situation with questionable at best, untrustworthy at worst backup. Sam was the first to soften, after all he’d been here for two days with them and hadn’t seen any warning signs. Sure, Alec had taken to stalking the bunker like a caged cat, but Sam couldn’t blame him, Dean tended to do the same after a few days himself.  
  
“It’s better than nothing.” Sam told his brother.  
  
“Alright fine.” Dean remarked and looked to Alec. “Can you shoot?”  
  
“I assume you mean a gun?” Alec replied. When Dean merely lifted an eyebrow, he continued. “Never tried but I can shoot a bow damn well so I can’t imagine it’s all that different.” Alec said a little cockily.  
  
“Well let’s go give it a try.” Dean said, “If you can hit the target 5 out of 6 times you can come.” He added with his own dose of attitude.  
  
  
Twenty minutes later Alec was tossing some borrowed clothes into a borrowed bag for the trip that would take a night or two. The brothers had been vague about how long these things took. Alec was still smirking about the look Dean had made when Alec had made 5 perfect shots out of 6. The first one had surprised him a bit and hadn’t gone nearly as planned. After that he had set his feet better and taken a deep breath, ignoring Dean’s snicker behind him. And promptly nailed it. Five perfect shots to the center of the chest. Alec himself had been a little surprised but Magnus had given him a knowing smile. Just like pool, it was all about the aim.  
  
Magnus was sitting on the bed next to the duffel watching Alec. A pout on his lips but his eyes glinted with happiness at the smirk on his boyfriend’s face. “As much as I don’t want you to go it’s cute seeing you so excited like this. Who knew Casper could get you this wound up?” Magnus remarked teasingly. Alec’s smile changed to a more genuine smile that lit his eyes.  
  
“A ghost Magnus! Dean said we needed iron and salt. Who thought of that? Seriously, a ghost. I’m not too sure why a ghost would be a problem, but some fresh air will be nice anyway.” Alec said in a faster clip than usual. Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle at his giant childlike boyfriend. Alec loped into the bathroom to gather the toothbrush and toothpaste he had been using. When he came back Magnus had risen from his spot on the bed. Alec dropped the items in the bag and turned to him, smile still on his face.  
  
“You’ll be ok here right? I mean I know this place is essentially a fortress, but we still don’t actually know these guys all that well. I know Sam seems pretty easygoing, but I don’t like leaving you alone.” Alec spoke hesitantly realizing he was leaving Magnus here without help. He reached for his boyfriend and pulled his body close to his taller frame. Magnus wrapped one arm around Alec’s waist and placed one hand on his cheek.  
  
“Go on have a good time, I’ve been taking care of myself for centuries. Even without magic I am a force to be reckoned with. Enjoy your ghost and be careful.” Magnus responded patting Alec’s cheek. “Don’t get possessed.” He added with a silly smile that Alec returned. Alec bent his head and kissed the smirk off his boyfriend’s lips.  
  
With a final shared smile Alec headed out the door to an impatient Dean waiting in the Impala. As soon as Alec had the passenger door closed Dean was off. Alec gave him a salty look, but Dean was already too busy singing along to a cassette playing loudly from the car’s speakers to notice. Alec pulled on his seatbelt shaking his head. This was going to be a long drive.

They had stopped for road food in town but five hours later hadn’t stopped again. Alec was settled into the seat with his arms crossed and his legs stretched out. Dean had cheerily sung along to the same tape nearly the entire time. Alec even knew some of the songs by now much to his chagrin and he had to admit, it had grown on him.  
  
Alec’s eyes were closed lightly while Dean continued humming and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel when he found himself humming along lightly. He heard Dean’s soft chuckle and opened his eyes to see Dean glancing at him smiling. Alec rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the smile. As the song with the strange words began Dean happily belted off each lyric. By the first chorus Alec found himself quietly singing along and tapping his fingers to each ‘What do you want’ right along with Dean. Dean was laughing and doing something that resembled, playing guitar? Alec wasn’t totally sure, but he seemed to be having fun nonetheless.  
  
Before the next song could play Dean leaned over and turned off the radio. “You might be an alright guy Alec Lightwood.” He remarked warmly. Alec gave him a bland look but didn’t really take offense. He still wasn’t quite sure what he thought of Dean yet. After all he’d only spent a little time with him before Dean had left for a hunt earlier in the week.  
  
“You like Def Leppard?” Dean asked. “Who?” Alec replied with a confused look.  
  
“The song, you…” Dean stopped seeing Alec’s look. “Never mind.” he finished with a shake of his head.  
  
“What are we walking into anyway?” Alec replied taking advantage of the quiet to catch up.  
  
“Well we have two missing teenagers in three weeks. Both tried to stay the night in a so-called ‘haunted’ house with friends. Neither left with their groups. One kid is saying the second missing kid, ahh…” Dean explained before reaching into the backseat to grab the file next to the cooler. “Amanda James” Dean continued propping the open file on the seat between them. “Seemed to disappear. One second the witness was standing next to her, the next her backpack was left on the floor and she was no where to be found. It looks like a typical lonely ghost. They get stuck here for whatever reason, unfinished business and they’re ducking their reaper or being held here by someone with something.” Dean added with a thoughtful look. He handed Alec the open file before continuing. “Either way salt and burn the bones and they go poof. Or we sometimes have to find the someone with the something but that doesn’t look like the case here. Stories of this warehouse go back a long time, but it’s never escalated like this, never been more than stuff thrown around, noises, wailing, temperature drops, things like that. The longer ghosts are in the veil the more likely they are to go vengeful. When that happens, they lose control of the rage. They can do some crazy shit.” Dean finished with a shake of his head.  
  
Alec’s eyes had gone wide as he processed Dean’s words and the words in the file. “So, are we looking for these missing kids?” Alec asked thumbing through the pages. Looking closer Alec realized this was a very complete file but didn’t look like anything official. It was in a plain folder with no stamps or writing as if it had been put together by law enforcement.  
  
“Unfortunately, probably not.” Dean answered with a sigh. “Usually these lonely types are killing for friends, so they kill them to keep their spirit around forever with them. Some have figured out ways to hold the spirits there permanently and keep out the reapers.”  
  
“Reapers? Like, death?” Alec asked still looking down.  
  
“Nah.” Dean answered with a chuckle, “Just the guys, well mostly gals in my experience actually, that carry your soul up or down when you die. Generally unhelpful pricks, but in this case their only goal will be carrying away the soul, so we’ll be on the same team.”  
  
Alec shook his head a little at Dean’s speech. Finally realizing the full extent of what Dean was saying Alec turned in his seat to face Dean. “Are you saying we’re probably going to have to salt and burn the remains of this person to get them to stop!?” Alec burst incredulously.  
  
“It’s what we do.” Dean replied simply giving Alec a blank look.  
  
Alec turned back to face the windshield with an appalled look on his face. This wasn’t quite what he expected. He stared at the passing trees wondering how in the hell he ended up in this position. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed but he found himself playing with the pages in his lap. Looking down he was drawn to the smiling face of Amanda Jones. She was a plain girl with plain brown hair and average features, but her smile in the picture was genuine. It looked like a school picture the way she was posed but she looked like she was laughing at an inside joke. Like she shouldn’t have a care in the world. Under another clip in the file was a picture of a boy, older than Amanda. The file said his name was Peter Burns. Peter’s picture showed a dark-haired boy with blue eyes. His smile was polite but impersonal, guarded.  
  
Alec looked at the two pictures side by side. Both lives gone because of a ghost? Was this common? Was this happening back home? These kids weren’t much younger than his sister and Jace, they should have their whole lives ahead of them. Was there any chance they were alive? Suddenly Alec sat up a little straighter and looked at the file with new eyes. Regardless he needed to help put a stop to this. This was what he was trained for, protecting the mundanes from the things that go bump in the night.  
  
Seeing Alec’s change Dean looked at the kid with new eyes. He had really loosened up over the hours in the car. The singing along had really surprised Dean, but he was glad the kid was loosening up a bit. Dean got the feeling he didn’t get to do that much. Time would tell if he would actually help or was just a lucky shot. Glancing at the passing signs Dean moved into the right lane.  
  
They turned off the next exit and pulled into a gas station. Turning off the engine Dean spoke “I’m going to run in for a coffee refill. You want anything?”  
  
Alec looked at him a little surprised lost in thought looking though the file. “Ahh, I’ll take a coffee too please.”  
  
“No problem” Dean answered opening the door. He went into the store and collected some more jerky, couldn’t have enough jerky, and two large cups of coffee. He paid for the items and gas and walked back to the car. Knocking on the window he saw Alec jerk. Dean gave him an impatient look and handed him the coffee’s through the window Alec was hustling to open.  
  
“Hey, you want to pump the gas while I hit the head?” Dean remarked tossing the bags of jerky over Alec onto the driver’s seat.  
Alec seemed to blush a little and looked away from Dean. “I’ve never pumped gas before.”  
  
Dean was a little taken aback but remembered this kid was from New York City and had probably grown up there. “Well today you’re going to learn.” He said casually. “We got plenty of time to go before we hit Buffalo Hart and you’re not getting out of this every time we need gas.”  
  
Dean stepped back and walked back towards the pump. Alec sighed and followed. Dean proceeded to brusquely show him the basics before strolling to the bathroom. When he returned Alec had carefully replaced the pump and the gas cap. Dean looked over and nodded with a smirk. They both climbed back in the car and reached for the coffees.  
  
Dean started the engine and took a moment to enjoy the sound. Alec watched him smile, he didn’t understand a machine making someone so happy, but he couldn’t deny he was impressed. Dean was solidly Dean. He was who he was and damned anyone else. As someone still working on that himself it was something Alec could appreciate despite not understanding Dean’s methods.  
  
As Dean pulled back onto the highway Alec went back to the file. “So how do we figure out who the ghost is? This looks like a history going back nearly 25 years of what looks like the ghost stories you read about. Noises and temperature changes like you said. But there’s nothing on who this could possibly be.” Alec spoke without looking up from the file.  
  
“Well we’re going to talk to the witness that was with ghost girl first.” Dean replied looking over Alec before continuing “I’ll bring you in as the rookie I guess” he all but mumbled.  
  
Alec, not fully paying attention, gave Dean a look but ignored his last comment. Dean continued “Then we go in with the EMF and see if we can find anything in the warehouse.”  
  
“Alright.” Alec agreed with a shake of his head, for now ignoring whatever the hell an EMF was. Glancing over the map included in the folder his brow furrowed. “When are we going to be getting there?” he asked.  
  
Dean glanced at the clock before answering “Probably right around dinner time. We’ll grab a place for the night, grab some grub, and hit up the girlfriend in the morning.”  
  
Alec nodded again but continued frowning. “It looks like this warehouse is in town, right around a lot of businesses. If we want to go in quietly, we probably want to go in at night. Why don’t we do that tonight?”  
  
Dean looked surprised but glanced at Alec with a gleam in his eye. Maybe the kid would work out after all. “Not a bad idea. Jump right it, I like it. We’ll hit the place later tonight.”  
  


**********

Magnus smiled fondly at Alec’s backside as he headed out the door. He stood in the middle of the room for a moment wondering just how they found themselves in this predicament. They were catapulted to another world and now Alec was off fighting ghosts. Magnus could handle bizarre, hell the history he’d lived through had been its own version of crazy every time. He’d traveled to a few of Hell’s dimensions and all over his world but never another, similar world. He couldn’t help but wonder if a version of himself and Alexander existed in this world somewhere. Had they found their way to each other?  
  
Shaking his head Magnus confidently left the room and headed back to the library. Sam was no where to be found but all the books they had been going through were still strewn on the table. Magnus sat in his regular seat and went back the open page in the Black Grimoire. He was surprised by the languages found in this book, some he thought long dead. In his world at least.  
  
The magic here was different. It was similar in many ways but always seemed to take a strange turn somewhere before long. Magnus had been through multiple spells where one line of a spell was vastly different than the spell he knew, one ingredient off from the spell he had used for centuries. Magnus found all of these intricacies intriguing but annoying. Progress was slow because there was no pattern to the changes. Every spell Magnus wanted to use had to be researched before he could even attempt to utilize it. If he could utilize it. Conjuring enough power for any real spell hadn’t yet worked in his favor.  
  
At least he could read all of this still, Magnus though wryly. He looked over the spell again running his fingers over the pages of the book. He could feel the pull of this book. As soon as Sam had taken it from the safe and warned them Rowena may try to take it Magnus knew why. It had a quiet whisper of power to it that Magnus knew could be very dangerous in the wrong hands. Despite Sam’s lack of faith in Rowena, Magnus was quite ready for her to show up. The spell he had found in the book looked like it could redirect his flow of magic to better match the flow of the ley lines in this world. It was a complex spell that required a great deal of magic to be sacrificed but Sam had assured Magnus that Rowena would be up to the task.  
  
Sam had been an easy friend the last few days, Magnus was thankful for him. Yet he couldn’t help but yearn for home. For his friends that were actually family, for the full power of his magic. Truth be told Magnus hadn’t noticed his lack of magic so much in his actual lack of magic. He had just enough to go through basic tasks such as doing mild hair and makeup in the morning, summon a glass of water in the middle of the night, make the bed in the morning. Not enough to summon anything much larger than that or do his full skin care routine but he could do enough.  
  
Instead Magnus saw his lack of magic in Alec. In how Alec watched him when he thought Magnus wasn’t looking. In the way he asked Magnus how he was doing each time Magnus was quiet for too long. Magnus knew it was out of love and he appreciated it. The problem was that it was mildly distracting. Magnus wanted to focus on logistically how to get home, and their best bet was through his magic. Magnus wasn’t one to trust these types of people very quickly, but he knew if he could just tap into the ley lines here the way he could at home, and maybe with a touch of Jack’s powers, he would be able to get home.  
  
Magnus looked up as Sam entered the library. “Hey” Sam greeted him.  
  
“Hello.” Magnus responded looking at the clock. “Goodness it’s later than I thought.”  
  
Sam nodded and took his normal seat diagonally across the table from Magnus. “Yeah it’s getting late but Rowena just called and promised she’d be here first thing in the morning.”  
  
Magnus lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow skeptically. “I’ll believe that when I see it.” He replied dryly. Sam smiled knowingly and pulled his laptop towards him. They worked quietly for a bit before Magnus’s phone dinged in his pocket. Sam looked at him questioningly while Magnus pulled the phone from his pocket. He couldn’t help his small smile when Alec’s name showed up on the screen. A text message that read **Long car rides are awful.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a lot going on for the next 2 weeks or so, so it's probably going to be about that long before I get another chapter up. Unless the 3B premiere sparks my muse which is completely possible!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAIT STOP!
> 
> If you haven't done so chapter 7 received an update during my hiatus. This picks up right from there so if you haven't read the new excerpt in chapter 7 you'll want to do that before starting here.

**Ah, the mundane way of things. You weren’t car sick were you?**  
  
Magnus sent his reply before looking up. Sam was watching him with a smile. “Alec?” He questioned.  
  
“That obvious?” Magnus responded with a smirk. Sam merely tilted his head making Magnus let out a small laugh. “I do suppose I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to Alexander. He’s the yin to my yang.”  
  
“You mean you’re opposites?” Sam questioned.  
  
“Yes.” Magnus answered meeting Sam’s eyes. “We are quite opposite in many ways. A warlock and a shadowhunter. We’ve loathed each other for centuries, merely cohabitating to keep the bloodshed to a minimum on both sides. They may have the will of the angels, but we have the power and immortality.” The last bit spoken a bit sarcastically, as if Magnus knew this personally. Before Sam could respond Magnus’s phone dinged again.  
  
**A: Car sick? I was definitely sick of being in the car pretty quick if that’s what you mean. The whole thing was made worse by the fact that Dean seems to actually enjoy these road trips. Would you believe he played the same cassette tape over and over the entire drive?**  
  
**M: Some people get motion sickness in cars, nevermind. Cassette tape!?!?! How old are these men!?**  
  
Seeing the incredulous look on Magnus’s face Sam shot him a questioning look. “Cassette tapes!?” Magnus sputtered with all the questioning astonishment he knew Alec would hear even through a text message. Sam heartily laughed Magnus’s reaction.  
  
“Yeah, the car belonged to our dad and Dean insists on keeping it in the exact same condition he left it in. That’s partially why he conveniently ‘forgets’ to oil the doors sometimes.” Sam answered still laughing a bit. Magnus couldn’t help but laugh along with him. His smile persisted when his phone went off again.  
  
**A: I have no idea but, old.**  
  
**A: We might see the ghost tonight, or whatever the creature might be. We are looking into the warehouse tonight. What are you up to tonight?**  
  
**M: Sounds much more riveting than my night once again surrounded by books. And thankfully the Winchester’s well stocked liquor cabinet.**  
  
**M: Be careful Alexander.**  
  
Magnus looked up to again find Sam looking at him. A bit more whimsically this time. Magnus returned the smile. “Is it hard? Working with the one you love? Watching them put themselves in danger?” Sam blurted out. As soon as the words were out Magnus could tell Sam hadn’t really meant to be so prodding by the widening of his eyes and how his mouth still hadn’t quite closed. Magnus gave him a reassuring smile before answering.  
  
“It is hard. It’s terrifying. But, it’s what makes Alexander who he is. That man torched the ground under his own feet so he could be who he was meant to be and we could be together. He’s a soldier through to his core and loving him means loving all of that.” Sam listened to Magnus’s words with a sad glint in his eye.  
  
“I think that’s really great,” Sam answered, “that you guys found someone who understands your lives. You understand when the other has world changing problems, problems that can’t be put off no matter what’s happening in your personal lives.” Magnus could see the sadness in Sam’s eyes he was trying hard to hide. It was an old wound Magnus recognized all too well. The men shared a long, understanding look. Sam may come off as the easy-going brother especially with the long hair contributing to the ‘cool dude’ look but it was clear this man had seen some shit. He had seen heartbreak and maybe still hadn’t quite come to terms with it. Magnus’s phone went off again breaking the moment.  
  
**A: I’m always careful. Miss you, I’ll check in in the morning.**  
  
Magnus nearly snorted at Alec’s message. He stopped himself just in time remembering he was sitting with Sam and took a moment before responding.  
  
**M: Let’s say don’t do anything Jace would do. I miss you too Alexander, talk in the morning.**  
  
“While Alexander and I may generally understand each other on some levels, on others it took work and communication. For example my immortality has always proven to be a rather large obstacle in any relationship. It was, difficult, for Alec to understand all that entailed at first.” Magnus spoke quietly and deliberately. Sam merely nodded and quietly processed this information.  
  
It wasn’t long before Magnus caught Sam glancing at him every so often, sometimes opening his mouth only to close it again.  
  
“Was there something else you wanted to ask?” Magnus asked in a teasing tone.  
  
Sam looked a little taken a back but smiled innocently. “So, cat eyes huh? You said they’re your warlock mark?” When Magnus simply nodded Sam continued “Do all warlocks have different marks then? Is there an, I don’t know, system to who gets what mark?”  
  
Magnus smiled at Sam’s enthusiasm and answered all of Sam’s eager questions. They covered the range of marks and their significance in Magnus’s world. When they started talking of his powers and how he was born with them the dreaded topic of lineage came up.  
  
“So you’re half demon? Well that’s why the trap worked. So there’s a good amount of you? How, well, how did you come to be? One demon parent one human parent right? Is that a normal thing?” Sam questioned trying to phrase his questions politely.  
  
“Yes, good to know and I wouldn’t say we’re common.” Magnus sighed and continued, “I spent my youngest days with my mother. She’s long gone now, centuries gone.” Magnus’s voice fading as he carefully looked down and avoided further questioning about his mother.  
  
Sam looked back down at his books a bit sheepishly. He was quiet for a moment before murmuring “I found out I’d been given demon blood as a baby. It was only a little, just enough to tie me to the demon who wanted to use me. It was a pretty dark time in my life when I found out, it gave me some pretty crazy powers but at a great price.” When Sam looked back up Magnus’s dark eyes were searching him. A gentle smile tipped Magnus’s lips and he reached across the table to pat Sam’s hand comfortingly.  
  
Sam’s expression softened when he asked “So was your father a demon? Did you know him?”  
  
Magnus laughed humorlessly before answering “Yes unfortunately, I got to know my father quite well in the following years. He’s, well he’s quite well known in Edom and he liked having a little protégé running around.” Magnus finally looked up. Sam was smiling at him knowingly no longer pressing. Magnus took a deep breath but continued. “My father is Asmodeus, prince of Hell.”  
  
At the admission Sam was visibly taken aback. He recovered quickly enough, and Magnus noticed the hint of sadness in his eyes. “Asmodeus huh?” Sam said “We have him here too, well did. Gabriel killed him.” Magnus looked at Sam in confusion.  
  
“Gabriel, the archangel. He’s kind of been a long-time ally of ours. Well, was.” Now it was Sam’s turn to look down in avoidance. Magnus reached over the table and touched Sam’s hand in reassurance.  
  
“It’s not an easy life that of a hunter. You’ve lost a lot.” Magnus said quietly. Sam returned the smile before Magnus moved back in his chair and returned to the book in front of him.  
  
“Can’t be easy being the son of the Prince of Hell.” Sam sympathized. They shared a knowing look before going to back to their books. Quiet fell between them comfortably, both shifting pages in books or files and making piles of things that could be helpful and useless information. The pile of unhelpful books took over a corner of the desk and spilled over onto one of the extra chairs before long. The only book currently in the ‘helpful’ pile was the magical black book.  
  
It was much later when Magnus placed the book he was reading down with a sigh. He rolled his neck a few times and pushed his chair back before Sam looked up blinking. Magnus glanced at the clock on the wall and made a rude noise when he realized it was well past dinnertime, almost closer to breakfast at this point. Sam followed his gaze suddenly yawning as he also realized the time.  
  
“Damn” Sam mutter rubbing a hand over his face. “I’ve got bubkis. You?” He asked peering at Magnus with red rimmed eyes.  
  
“Nada here either.” Magnus replied with a sigh. “I say it’s time to drink.” Sam smiled in return and rose from his seat as well.  
  
“That sounds like a great idea.” Sam answered leading the way to the kitchen. 

**********

It was around 1:30 in the morning when Dean rose from the bed. Alec looked up from the opposite bed from the file he was obsessively reading over and over. Dean sat on the edge of the bed for a moment and rolled his neck. Sighing but still not saying anything Dean gave Alec a glance before standing and heading to the bathroom. When he emerged a few moments later he sat on the end of his bed and began pulling his boots on. Alec moved the file from his lap to the bed and flung his legs off the side of the bed to pull his own boots on.  
  
“So, I have to ask.” Dean broke the silence, “The tattoos, do they mean anything.”  
  
Without stopping what he was doing Alec answered “They’re runes. Each one has a purpose, they give us speed, or strength, or abilities like seeing heat signatures when activated.” Finishing with his boots Alec stood and faced Dean. He noticed the impressed expression on the older man’s face get wiped away quickly when he saw Alec looking.  
  
“So can you use them here?” Dean asked with an eyebrow raised.  
  
“Not really” Alec replied with a sigh, “It seems to be like Magnus’s magic, they give me a burst but they don’t work at full power.”  
Dean nodded and made a look but didn’t press further. He pulled on his coat and headed for the door with Alec following close behind. Once they were in the car Alec had to ask.  
  
“So what are we looking for here, exactly?” Alec asked.  
  
“Well Velma, you’re the one that’s read the file a million times by now. What’s the history of his place?” Dean countered heading towards the center of town.  
  
“According to the file, this isn’t actually a house we’re heading into but an abandoned warehouse. Abandoned since the industrial revolution as far as I can tell. In it’s prime this warehouse was one of the largest window producers in the country. It was closed in the mid-1800s and hasn’t been used for anything since.” Alec countered with a bit of smugness. He paused a moment but had to ask, “Whose Velma?”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes before responding, “Nevemind. We’re looking for ghost activity. Plenty of monster options and we want to be sure we kill it right.”  
  
Alec couldn’t respond because the Impala was pulling to a stop in front of the warehouse. The businesses in the area were all shut down for the night, only a few ‘closed’ lights on door fronts remained. It was quiet when Dean turned the key, maybe a car far in the distance but certainly no traffic nearby. The few streetlights dim with energy saving bulbs casting an almost yellowish glow in their wake.  
  
Dean opened his door and climbed out with a grunt. Alec followed and they met at the trunk of the car. Taking a glance around Dean unlocked and opened the trunk. Alec was mildly surprised when the empty trunk was revealed. Just as he noticed the ridge near the bumper Dean pulled up the false bottom. Alec was a bit impressed despite himself but copied Dean by leaning over the trunk. He first retrieved flashlights and handed one to Alec. Next, he pulled out a duffel bag and filled it with salt, two shot guns, and a small, clearly handmade device Alec couldn’t even being to identify. Pausing for a moment Dean seemed to shrug before adding a fire poker to the bag before zippering it shut.  
  
Both armed with flashlights Dean tossed the straps of the duffel over his shoulder and closed the hood. Dean nodded at Alec, both men professionally slipping into stealth mode. Reaching the door Dean wordlessly handed Alec his flashlight so Alec could keep it steady for him.  
  
Dean picked the lock and Alec kept the light steady while keeping look out and scanning the street. Dean was a bit startled when he realized how easily Alec was fitting into Sam’s role. He was obviously a trained soldier himself, easily stepping into the backup role behind Dean in such a way he wasn’t hastily checking over his shoulder while he worked. As a result, he was through the old lock quickly and pushing through the heavy metal door with a grin.  
  
Following Dean through the entry and shoving the door closed behind them Alec was again impressed despite himself. He hadn’t had to learn these sorts of skills having used runes, or force when necessary. Dean was obviously practiced in the art of breaking and entering quietly. If Dean wasn’t so, well, Dean about it, Alec probably would have asked him to teach him. It was then Alec realized just how alike Dean and his parabati were.  
  
Dean stopped just inside the entrance and Alec handed him back his flashlight. Dropping the duffel on the ground Dean unzipped the bag and retrieved the two shot guns. “Salt rounds. Sends ghosts running, unlike regular bullets.” Dean told him simply. He then pulled out the weird device before closing the bag and slinging it back over his shoulder.  
  
Flipping a switch on the side of the machine Dean started walking expecting Alec to follow. “EMF meter, ghosts always fuck with electricity.” Dean gave as a brief description before heading deeper into the warehouse. The machine hummed quietly but gave off no warning signs. Alec gave Dean a weird look but Dean was already off, flashlight in one hand EMF in he other. Alec sighed and followed.  
  
The warehouse was black and silent. The long windows along the ceiling too high to let in the little bit of light from the street. Their flashlights showed nothing but empty space as far as the light could reach. From the blue prints in the file Alec knew they were on the working floor of the warehouse. In the far corner would be the offices and a set of stairs to the overseer’s offices.  
  
Alec followed Dean through the warehouse, the only sound that of their boots grinding the dirt on the concrete floor and the light hum of the EMF machine. The amount of open floor in the warehouse felt strange and a bit daunting as they could no longer see any walls in the beams of their flashlights.  
  
After an uncomfortably long time had passed the wall appeared in Dean’s light in front of them. As they drew closer they noticed a set of open stairs to their left leading to the upper floor. To their right looked to be a line of doors, most leading to offices. Dean huffed a little before heading towards the stairs. Alec hesitated and flashed his light over the long row of doors on the wall.  
  
“I’m going to check out these.” Alec announced heading towards the first door. Dean stopped on the third stair, debating leaving the kid alone. He seemed pretty capable so far but this was all new for Alec. Not to mention Dean really didn’t want to be the one to have to tell Magnus he got his boyfriend killed.  
  
“Splitting up isn’t a good idea. Especially if these kids are dead, we could have multiple spirits here. Let’s do upstairs first.” Dean said from the stairs. Alec paused and turned to face him with an eyebrow raised.  
  
“It’ll be fine, I have the shotgun. This way we cover more ground.” Alec questioned. Shining the light at Dean still standing on the stairs, in the light he saw the set of the older man’s jaw and the hard look in his eye.  
  
“Not happening, I’m not going to be the one to tell Magnus you aren’t coming back.” Dean growled a bit harshly. Alec was taken aback for a moment and gave Dean a long look but had no counter for that argument. Finally shrugging Alec followed Dean up the stairs.  
  
The stairs creaked under their boots, protesting from lack of use over so many years. The weird device was still lightly humming in Dean’s hand being largely ignored while the boys climbed up the shorter than expected staircase. At the top they found themselves standing in an open waiting area with four offices leading off the space. The men shined their lights over the space finding nothing but cobwebs and bare concrete walls.  
  
Dean led the way across the open floor to the office in the far corner. He stuffed the EMF in one of his jacket pockets and pointed his light at the desk. The basic old-style metal desk almost looked like someone walked out of work one day and just never came back. There were schedules written out, time cards in a pile in the corner of the desk, even a framed picture of a pretty brunette woman. Dean wasted no time in beginning to rifle through everything on the desk.  
  
Alec hesitated in the doorway and turned to keep one eye on the open darkness of the waiting room. He still wasn’t sure what kind of threat they were looking for, but if Dean was insisting they not split up Alec figured keeping a look out was best. Dean continued systematically going through the desk, chuckling when he found a glass bottle in one drawer with barely a few inches of amber liquid swirling around in the bottom.  
  
Both paused when suddenly the EMF meter started buzzing in Dean’s pocket. As Dean pulled it out the low-key buzz pulsed persistently without increasing. Dean straightened and scanned the room closely. Alec did the same in the sitting room to his right. Directly across the room standing in front of the opposite office was a wispy white figure. It was too far away for Alec to know for sure, but it looked like the silhouette of an older woman.  
  
The air left Alec’s lungs. The temperature dropped suddenly, and Alec felt the numbing cold touching his nose and fingertips first and quickly spreading throughout his entire body. It was like a gust of wind in the middle of a storm, bone chilling cold settling deep into his chest. When he finally sucked in a breath he nearly choked on the thick cold. He watched it puff out of his mouth in a cloud. He vaguely heard Dean swearing behind him and charging for the door, the EMF blaring loudly in his hand.  
  
Alec was too focused on the figure to notice, he was frozen in place with his flashlight trained on the woman and the shotgun hanging forgotten in his other hand. She wasn’t moving, standing still with her arms by her sides loosely. Suddenly she turned and disappeared through the door into the other office. When Dean slammed through Alec and followed where his light had been pointing the figure was gone.  
  
“What was it man?” Dean demanded shoving Alec a little to shake him from his shock. Alec’s mouth was open a little and he was still staring at the door in awe. He shook his head a little and faced Dean. It was then he realized the EMF was back down to a moderate buzz again.  
  
“A ghost.” Alec said still a bit dazed. He cleared his throat before continuing, “That was exactly what a ghost is supposed to look like.” He muttered before starting towards the opposite door. Dean put up a hand to stop him but stopped and decided to follow instead. As they reached the other door Alec hesitated, he half expected the ghost to come back through the door and come face to face with them. Taking a deep breathe he reached for the handle. The door swung open to reveal nothing but a bare room.


	9. Chapter 9

Alec shined his light over the room with a questioning look on his face. This office seemed to be the same as the last. Maybe a bit larger, lacking most of the personal touches like pictures the first office had but otherwise this office was just like the other. Dean pushed past Alec to once again go through the desk, this time keeping one eye on the room around him. Alec was still scanning the room for any evidence of the ghost he had seen.  
  
Finding nothing unusual Alec watched Dean going through the desk. The desk in here was well organized with 3 piles of papers, all the pens placed in the cup at the front corner, an intricate clock that had long since stopped working sat in the farthest corner from the chair pushed squarely behind the desk. Alec walked closer and ran his fingers over the designs covering the top of the silver square clock, they were raised and cold to the touch. Dust brushed off the sides at his movement prompting a small cloud of it to settle in the beam of his light.  
  
Suddenly, the EMF meter began buzzing loudly. Dean straightened and spun around to check the room behind him. The temperature dropped and the chill settled deep into Alec’s skin once again. Feeling uneasy Alec noticed a flutter of movement next to him. Before he could turn to face it he was face to face with the ghost.  
  
His instincts the first time had been right, it was an older woman. She was so close now Alec could see her eyes clearly, and she looked, scared? Something in her expression gave him pause, something familiar about this woman tugged at his mind but the look on her face had Alec entranced. He was positive he had never seen this woman before yet something in her eyes intrigued him. Staring at the ghost silently Alec saw her mouth open and start to form a sentence.  
  
“Get out while you can!” Alec felt the words more than he heard them. He watched the ghost as she spoke and knew she had made the sounds but it was as if she had whispered the words directly into his subconscious.  
  
The sound had gotten Dean’s attention and he spun around with his gun already raised. The ghost beat him to the punch, however and sent Dean flying into the far wall with a flick of her hand. Her eyes never leaving Alec’s she kept the hand up and reached out to cup Alec’s cheek. It was an oddly tender gesture that took Alec completely by surprise. Alec was frozen to the spot, the shotgun and flashlight hanging loosely in his hands as he stood entranced by this strange being. The ghost smiled at Alec, showing broken and cracked teeth Alec nearly flinched at, until the tug of familiarity hit him again.  
  
Before Alec could process anything further a shot rang out and the ghost disappeared like a wisp of smoke. Dean was yelling at him but Alec hadn’t moved from his spot by the door. Dean crossed the room quickly and began shoving Alec out the door.  
  
“Fucking run man, what the hell is wrong with you? Get out!” Dean yelled shoving the still slightly dazed Alec back through the waiting room and down the stairs. It wasn’t until Alec nearly tripped down the first stair, he finally moved his own feet and hustled down the stairs. They were down the stairs and running across the warehouse floor, covering ground significantly faster than they had crossed the first time. It wasn’t until they were back outside slamming the door of the warehouse closed Alec and Dean faced each other.  
  
They shared a look and both men took a deep breath trying to slow their rapidly beating hearts. They headed back to the trunk of the car and stowed the weapons silently. It wasn’t until they were heading back to the motel Alec spoke up. “So, it looks like the warehouse is haunted.”

**********

Magnus and Alec woke disoriented in different beds the next morning. It was early for Alec to be up, especially after such a long night but the strange bed by himself had left him tossing and turning all night. With a sigh he gave up trying to go back to sleep and opened his eyes. The clock on the nightstand showed he had only been, at least partially, asleep for about 4 hours. Folding his arms behind his head he contemplated calling Magnus. Just as Alec decided to wait until a more reasonable hour he heard his phone beep with a message on the nightstand. Reaching over and unplugging the phone Alec smiled when he saw that it was a message from Magnus.  
  
**Are you up?**  
  
Climbing from the bed Alec headed for the bathroom with his phone just in case Dean woke up. Closing the door behind him Alec called Magnus.  
  
_Good morning Alexander, you’re up early._  
  
“Morning, I could say the same to you.” Alec replied with a laugh.  
  
_Well we both know mornings are not your best time of day._  
  
“Hey, I just need some coffee and I’m fine.”  
  
_Oh Alexander, don’t get defensive. You know I find your morning Oscar the grouch impersonation adorable. ___  
  
Alec made a noncommittal noise but they both knew he was smiling.  
  
_How was your ghost hunt?_  
  
“Well, it was actually kind of exactly what you’d expect while still being really odd.”  
  
_Flickering lights, slamming doors, and wailing oh my?_  
  
“Actually none of that. It got cold, really cold. And the ghost was this old lady. I swear there was something familiar about her but I just can’t put my finger on it.”  
  
_Familiar in what way? Isn’t this ghost supposedly a few centuries old? It’s one thing for me to recognize someone that age but you?_  
  
“I’m not sure yet. There were pictures of a woman on one of the desks so I’ll probably look into that today.”  
  
_Well I’m sure you’ll figure it all out as you always do Alexander. Let me know if there’s anything here I can look into for you._  
  
“Thanks Magnus. If I can come up with a name I might take you up on that, but for now I think everything the bunker knows is in the file Sam sent with me. And I know you have your own research to be doing. Any word from the witch?”  
  
_Supposedly she should be here this morning, but we’ve both heard that before so we’ll see._  
  
“I’m sorry. How’s your magic?”  
  
_Oh you know, work in progress. The spell from that black book should help._  
  
Alec could practically hear Magnus waving off the question even through the phone. Frowning he wished he were there with his boyfriend now. “Magnus I know you’ll figure this out, and I’ll be here to help you in any way I can. You are smart and persistent and I know it seems daunting right now but I know you’ll figure this out.”  
  
_Oh Alexander, you do always know the right thing to say._  
  
“I miss you, I hate waking up alone.”  
  
_I know dear, I miss you too, but you go enjoy your ghost hunt._  
  
“Alright. I’ll call you later.”  
  
_Buh-bye angel._  
  
Alec ended the call with a smile on his face. Just speaking to Magnus could put him in a better mood. He took care of a few things while he was in the bathroom and when he emerged Dean was sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes. Seeing Alec he climbed from his bed and headed for the now vacant bathroom.  
  
When Dean walked back into the main room Alec was seated at the table with the file once again. Dean crossed to the closet and pulled out two suits wrapped in plastic and neatly pressed. Alec watched him hang them from the bathroom door with a curious look.  
  
“Fed threads.” Dean said by way of explanation when he saw Alec’s look. “We’ll go in as FBI agents to question the girlfriend and see what the police have on the missing. If we look the part hopefully no one will look too close at the ID Sam pulled together last minute for you.”  
  
Alec was looking at Dean with wide eyes and a scowl on his face. “You do this regularly?” He asked sarcastically. Dean’s shrug didn’t assure Alec at all. While Dean changed in the bathroom Alec pulled on the slacks and shirt from the hangar. Everything fit surprisingly well, the pants and sleeve length were just a bit too long but close enough no one would notice. Alec was pulling the jacket on when Dean reappeared from the bathroom dressed except for the matching jacket he was holding.  
  
“Alright,” Dean announced, “We are going to hit up the station first and talk to the detective.” Giving Alec a look Dean continued, “Just, let me do most of the talking.” Alec shot him a dirty look but Dean was too busy pulling on his jacket and collecting his car keys to notice.  
  


__**********_ _

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Back at the bunker Magnus groaned and dragged himself out of bed There was no real reason to get up of course but Magnus wasn’t one to lay around. While he used the bathroom and got dressed Magnus kept what was quickly becoming his morning ritual of ‘playing’ with his magic. Every morning he attempted each spell he normally used in the morning back home. The spell to make the bed, the spell to wash his face, the spell to set his hair and makeup, everything that would make up his normal routine was attempted. Each morning they, well half worked sometimes. The sheets would lazily spread out, he would feel the mediocre scrub on his face, but worse was when nothing happened. Those were the times Magnus grew increasingly frustrated.

It happened today when Magnus got brave and tried his usual spell to conjure one of his favorite shirts. He knew it was sitting in his closet at home, he concentrated with everything he had and got a whole lot of nothing for his effort. Glad Alexander wasn’t here to see it Magnus finished dressing in borrowed clothes and headed towards the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of coffee from the already brewed pot he hesitated and left an inch at the top.

Heading into the library Magnus headed straight for the whiskey bottle and topped off the last inch of his mug. He took his normal seat at the table and sighed deeply at his first sip of the doctored drink. He closed his eyes and took another big gulp before setting the mug down.

Magnus eyed the pile of leftover books and papers still strewn on the desk from last night. He closed his eyes again and leaned back in the chair. This wasn’t going well. While he still had a trace of his powers not being able to live the same way was wearing on him. He was putting on a brave face, but he was deeply invested in this spell working and helping him redirect his magic. The bare traces he could use almost hurt him more. The failure this morning was weighing heavily in the front of his mind.

Magnus sat and just, felt, as the clock ticked away. He lost track of time as the clock ticked through five, then ten, then fifteen minutes with Magnus never moving more than to adjust his seat a few times. He felt the surge of the lay lines, he felt the thrum of power flowing under the surface. And yet it was still so far away. It was like looking at it though a thick layer of unbreakable glass. _At least I can still feel something._ He repeated this mantra to himself and he finally opened his eyes and gave up trying to touch the lines.

_At least I can still feel something._

It wasn’t much later when Magnus heard the main door creak open. He stood and stretched lavishly while listening to two sets of footsteps cross the threshold and descend the stairs. When the pair was about halfway down the head of long red hair caught his eye. Raising an eyebrow he met them in the foyer.

“Well well, you must be Rowena Macleod.” Magnus remarked with an outstretched hand.

“Aye, you must be Magnus Bane High Warlock of Brooklyn. A pleasure to meet you.” Rowena replied with a heavy accent shaking his hand. Her smile was pleasant if assessing and a bit smarmy. She looked him up and down feigning interest but Magnus recognized it for what it was, she was assessing his magical aura. Magus has used the move enough times to know it well. He humored her by crossing his arms and cocking one hip but mostly standing still for her perusal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting this done just in time! I'm sorry it's a small and slow update where nothing really happened. I just felt like Magnus's situation needed to be talked about a bit especially when he wouldn't be putting on a mask for Alec. Next week will be the true Rowena meeting and Alec's version on an FBI agent so I promise more real content next week!


End file.
